System and apparatus for piano instruction



NOV. 12, 1940. l B, LANG 2,221,143

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR PIANO INSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l i; w A g g g g 5;

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Fly 5 11 716 912 F291 1 1 19 4 ATTORNEYS B. -M. LANG Nov. 12, 1940.

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR PIANO INSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 54 9112525: a 27\sa 89 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SYSTEM arm APPARATUS FUR Plano ms'rRUc'noN v 2 Qlaims. This invention relates to a system and appa ratus for piano instruction and has for an oli-= ject to provide a system and means of indicating the musical notes and proper keys on the piano 5 for playing them by means of a series or colors so that even a. very young child may play simple pieces without being required to learn to read music. i It is also an object to provide a system and means of teaching music which will appeal to the pupil more in the nature of a game than as a lesson or the drudgery usually associated by children with music lessons, and yet & them an independent natural knowledge 0 music, as tone, rhythm, harmony, knowledge the piano keyboard, notes, etc.

With the foregoing and other objects Ihave devised the system and means iv it illustrated in the accompai ra forming a part this specification. understood that these illustrations ai to explain the system how in and that I am not limited to the shown but various changes and mo be employed within the scope of these drawings:

keyboard showinr the apparatus in cositio Fig. 2 is a plan from. the lreyhoas the plane o o t -e in te posi 4; is a view of how a simple more elaborate piece to be olayed;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing elaborate piece;

Figs. 7, 8, 9; l0 and ii are views showing how different notes may be indicated;

Figs. l2, l3 and 14 are to show a simple means for indicating how a note is to be played in a higher or lower octave;

Fig. 15 isa diagram chart for more advanced pupils showing how the same method may be employed for indicating the notes;

Fig. 16 shows how diiferent values oi notes may be indicated with the color arrangement em ployed;

Fig. 17 shows another system oi". indieatiorgv which may be used to designate the various notes;

Fig. 18 is an example showing how chords may be indicated; and

Fig. 19 another example showing how a major or other scale may be indicated.

This system and apparatus comprises one or more indicators to he placed on or adjacent the keyboard of a piano and having thereon a series 01'' differently alignment with the proper keys on the keyboard, and used combination. with a chart having a series of differently colored blocks or other indications arranged to indicate notes to he played corresponding to the colors on the indicator the piano lreyhoardfso that in 'playing a piece a child merely plays the keys opposite the color dications on the indicator corresponding wi a. the similarly colored blocks or indications on. the chart.

The indicator may he of various constructio s but a simple and effective one is shown E issa 2 3 comprising a hotly l of cardboard 1' material of elongated rectangular sha having on its upper surface seies indications 2 ct different colors positioned to cor respond the spacing of the keys of the piano Thus in the to shown these ills cations comorise a plum" or salt tantial r ctangles l p ward or Ming side by d to overlie the p e colors t is pr green,

.o L red, 2 when this ndicator is "placed on y'ooaro o! the plane as indicated it lg. 3. wit the red panel 3 over or ill alignrne t with the Key cor sponding th the note C the other panels will be in alignment with the keys immediately to the right of this including both the white keys and the black keys indicated generally at 1. body member i has at its opposite ends. dor wardly extending flaps and along its rear e lge another flap (3 so that when this indicator placed on the keyboard the flap \i is behind rear ends of the black keys and the flaps at the sides of two black: lseys l so that these flaps hold the indicator in position. These flaps are preferably long enough to extend down Eli;-

of elongated pa lS Lil into the space between the black keys I and the adjacent white keys.

The chart I to be used with this indicatoras indicated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 which is the preferred form for beginners, but may be modified as will later be described, may be printed on cardboard or paper and is laid out in a series of vertical and horizontal rows of squares of equal width by the vertical and horizontal faint or light lines 9 and Ill. In Fig. 4 is shown a simple piece which is played on three different keys of the piano and this is indicated by coloring the squares in a horizontal row to correspond with the proper notes of this piece. That indicatedis composed of a series of squares indicated by reference characters II to l8. The first two squares II and I2 are the same note and they therefore are colored the same color which in the present illustration is red to correspond with the left hand panel 2 of the indicator I which as shown in Fig. 1 is over the note C on the piano keyboard. The heavy line I 9 denotes that the key is to be pressed twice in succession, that is the key is to be depressed for each of the squares II and i2. The next two squares l2 and H are colored yellow in this illustration corresponding to the panel 20 in the indicator I and the black line 2| shows that this note is to be played twice in succession which is the note E of the scale. The next two squares I! and I. are colored orange to correspond with the color of the panel 22 of the indicator which is the key corresponding to the note D of the scale, and as the blocks l5 and I. are separated by a. heavy black line 23 this note is also to be played twice in succession. However, the next two squares l1 and II which are colored red the same as squares II and I2 are not separated by a heavier line and thus indicates that the note corresponding to these two squares is to be played as a single note but twice the length of the notes indicated by the other squares. Thus if the notes indicated by the squares from II to I. are taken as quarter notes then the note indicated by the two squares l1 and II will be twice this length, or a half note. Therefore it will be seen that in playing this short piece all the pupil has to do is to play the keys on the piano keyboard opposite the panels 2 which correspond to or have the same color as the various blocks II to It.

A somewhat more comprehensive piece is illustrated in Fig. 5 where the colored squares are indicated by reference characters 24 to 25 inelusive. The first square 24 is colored yellow to correspond with the panel 22 of the indicator and shows the key where note E is to be played. Squares 25 and 2' are colored red corresponding to panel 2, but as they are not separated by a heavy line it indicates that they are to be played as a single note of twice the length of the note for the square 24. Square 21 is the same as square 24, and squares 22 and 22 are the same as 2| and 28. Square 2. is the same as 24 and 21, and II and 22 are the same as 2| and 20 or 22 and 22. The squares 32, and 2|, however, are colored blue to correspond with the panel 28 of the indicator. However, as 22 and 24 are separated by a heavy line 21 this key will, be depressed twice for the blocks 22 and Ii, but as 24 and 3! are not separated by a heavy line they will be played as one note of twice the length of the block 22.

The same system is carried out in the piece shown in Fig. 8 which is still more elaborate and of greater length than that of Fig. 5 and is carried over into two lines of squares indicated by reference numerals 88 to It. The first square ilisvioletredtocorrespondwiththepanelll of the indicator located over the note B of the scale. The next two squares 22 and 4| are colored blue violet to correspond with panel II. The next two squares II and 42 are colored blue to correspond with the panel ll while square 43 is green to correspond with panel 50 of the indicator. Squares l4 and 45 are blue, 48 violet red, 41 blue violet, 48 blue, 42 green, Ill and II blue violet, and 52 and 53 blue and are to be played by the keys corresponding with the similarly colored panels in the indicator. It will be seen that in this piece the notes corresponding to the squares 44 and 45; Ill and II; and I2 and II are to be played as half notes, while the others are to be played as quarter notes since they are separated by the heavy vertical line.

When the pupil has become further advanced the chart squares may have the actual note indicated therein, thus in Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive the one square of Fig. 7 as it indicates a quarter note may have the quarter note 51 printed in this square, the square being colored the same as in Figs. 4 to 6 to indicate through the indicator l the key to be played. The squares of Figs. 7 to 11 are lined for red to indicate the key C but this of course is merely by way of example. In Fig. 8 two consecutive squares indicate twice the length of one square, or that is, a half note, which may be printed in the center of these two squares. In Fig. 9 the three consecutive squares indicate a dotted half note which may be printed as indicated at 59 in the intermediate of these three squares. In Fig, 10 four consecutive squares indicate a whole note which may be printed in these squares as indicated at I. In Fig. 11 is shown how notes of less length may be indicated. Thus a square may be divided by a dotted line II to show it is to be played as two eighth notes and these may be printed as such in the half squares as shown at 82. If they are to indicate sixteenths or shorter notes they may be divided and printed in a similar manner.

Iii Figs. 12, 13 and 14 is shown how it may be indicated that the note is to be played in a higher or lower octave than the middle octave. 'Ihus as shown in Fig. 12 a heavy line I over the square indicates that the note is to be played an octave higher, or if two such lines are over the note it indicates two octaves higher. Similarly in Fig. 13 a heavy line below the square indicates it is to be played an octave lower, while two such heavy lines as indicated in Fig. 14 indicates it is to be played two octaves lower.

As indicated above the colored symbols or indications need not be blocks or squares, or even rectangular or rectangular panels, but may be of other shapes as desired. In Fig. 15 is shown how these colored symbols or indications may take the shape of the musical notes themselves and printed on the standard musical stair. They may be colored to indicate the proper keys on the piano keyboard and large enough so that the colors are easily distinguished. Thus the notes 8| may be colored to correspond with the indication for the note E on the indicator used on the keyboard ll colored for the key 1'', 28 for the key A, etc. These also indicate quarter notes in the usual way, but when a half note is indicated as at O1, O8 and II the note is open in the center to indicate that. it is a half note as is brought out in connection with Fig. 18 where II indicates aquarter note, Ii a half note and 12 a whole note, the outline notes such as the half and whole notes being left open or uncolored in the center as indicated at 13 surrounded by a band 14 of the proper indicating color. In Fig. l the half notes 68 and 69 are dotted half notes and can be so indicated in the usual manner. Under note 68 are the double bars 15 indicating this note is to be played two octaves lower than indicated. Also, the bar 16 under note 69 indicates that that is to be played one octave lower.

In Fig. 17 is shown another way the symbols may be varied. This shows an indicator 1'! corresponding to the indicator I, but instead of using the elongated panels 2 as in the first form these may take diii'erent shapes as indicated. Thus the red and green blue indications 18 and 85 may be circles, the red orange and green I9 and 84 may be squares, the orange and blue violet 80 and 81 may be oval shaped, the orange yellow and blue 8| and 86 may be pentagons, the yellow and violet red 82 and 89 may be triangles, and the yellow green and violet 83 and 88 may be.hexagons, or other shapes may be employed as desired. In such cases the distinctive shapes with the various colors used help to identify the various notes. This indicator may be used the same as indicator l on the keyboard as shown in Fig. 1 with downwardly extending flaps 90 at the opposite ends being used the same as the flaps 5 in the first form, and having a flapill along its rear edge to be used the same as the flap 6 of the first form.

In Fig. 18 is shown anindicator 92 which may be used to indicate chords, this being used similar "to the indicators l and 11 by placing on top of the keys of the piano keyboard at the rear part of the keyboard. This has a downwardly extending flap 93 along its rear edge to extend back of the rear ends of the black keys to hold it in position, and colored panels 94 to 91 so spaced and colored as to indicate the proper keys to give the proper notes of the chords.

In Fig. 19 is shown a similar indicator 98 to be used in the same way on the keyboard and having a downwardly extending flap 99 along its rear edge and having colored indicators 00 to I01 properly spaced and colored to indicate any desired scale, the one indicated being a major scale. It will of course be understood that these indicators can be so arranged that any chords or scales may be similarly indicated. It will be seen that the scales or chords are very easily understood and practiced with corresponding colors indicating the particular scale or chord. By moving the indicator to the right or left on the keyboard to other positions the pupil will get all scales and chords in the different keys.

This apparatus and system is more interesting and pleasing to the pupils, and they consider it more in the nature of a game rather than as a lesson, it being used in the nature of a game 01' matching the colors and tones and gives them an independent, firm, natural knowledge of music: tone, rhythm, harmony, knowledge of the piano keyboard, notes, etc. With this system and apparatus the child is more apt to retain its interest until it is old enough to actually learn to read music and study it in the normal manner. It will be seen from the above that it can be used progressively working from the most simple gradually to the more diiiicult music. .Very young children can pick out different notes by matching diil'erent colors where they would not be sufficiently developed to read music in the ordinary manner. Therefore, it can be used successfully for veryv young children as well as for older children, and even for adults beginning the study of music. It has a stimulating effect on the children because they learn something by their own efl'ort alone and practically without outside help or compulsion. Learning to play the piano becomes a pleasure and recreation instead l0 of a hardship and duty. This method and apparatus makes it possible for children to become advanced and develop a taste tor music by the time they reach the age when piano instruction usually begins. Adults who do not have the necessary time or desire to take lessons in the usual manner can use this-method and learn to play with remarkable ease and rapidity, even if theydevote only a short time a day to playing the piano.

Instead of the colored indicators 2 on member I or 18 to 89 on member 11 being mounted on a separate member to be placed on top of the keys, these indicators can be cut from pieces of paper, cardboard or other material and pasted or otherwise secured to the proper keys as shown at H18 in Fig. 1, or the two can be used together, or the keys themselves can be painted the proper colors, or these indicating symbols can be painted on the keys.

- the principle being the same in all cases.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for piano instruction an indicator comprising an elongated end having transversely extending diiferently colored bars positioned to correspond with the relative positions of diiferent keys of a piano keyboard, and downwardly extending flaps at the ends and rear edge of said card to cooperate with the sides and rear ends respectively of black keys of a piano keyboard to locate said card adjacent said keyboard with said bars in alignment with different keys to indicate said keys by the respective colors.

2. In an apparatus for piano instruction an in- The essence of this system is that the pupil in dicator comprising an elongated card having a plurality of diflerently colored indications positioned to lie in alignment with a plurality of the consecutive keys of the keyboard to indicate said keys by the respective colors and arranged in the order of the colors of the natural spectrum, and downwardly extending means at the ends and rear edge of said card to cooperate with the sides and rear ends respectively of black keys of a piano keyboard to locate said card adjacent said keyboard with said bars in alignment with different keys to indicate said keys by the respective colors.

BORIS M. LANG. 

